


Sombra Online

by Elover05



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Good Reaper, How Do I Tag, I love Sombra so much, Pseudo poetry, Talon - Freeform, Team as Family, between reaper and sombra, cause they are like father and daughter change my mind, come back next time to find out, everyone calls gabriel gabi, i just really love sombra and reaper ok, i think, i would die for sombra, idk how to tag can you tell, ill put any additional warnings at the beginning of each chapter, lots of cookies, most of this is kinda fluffy though, prose, talon is a bunch of dorks, talon is a bunch of dorks who like to pretend they're tough, the graphic violence is only in one chapter, they need love and hugs and cookies, who knows?!, will i ever let sombra be happy?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2019-11-28 06:49:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18204956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elover05/pseuds/Elover05
Summary: Sombra centric one-shots! A few character studies, a few fluff pieces, a few other things. Can really be anything.





	1. Observant

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, lovelies! Welcome to my first Overwatch fanfiction!
> 
> First of all, the stunning, awesome, incredible, wonderful cover of this fic was drawn by the amazing jam-boy. All credit for that goes to them, and you can find their Tumblr here: https://jam-boy.tumblr.com Go check them out! They're super cool and have so much Overwatch art that is just fantastic!
> 
> This fic is really just a bunch of one shots, mainly focused on Sombra. There will be other characters included, but mostly Sombra is the star. 'Cause I love her. So much. 
> 
> I'm trying a lot of new formatting in this, and I'm not sure if any of it worked, so please tell me what you think in the comments! I love hearing from you. 
> 
> Something you might want to know: I personally think of Reaper and Sombra's relationship as very father-daughter like. In my mind, and this fic, they're very close.
> 
> Anyway, on to the first one-shot!
> 
> WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Mentions of starvation, mentions of death.

**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^**

**That drawing is the official cover for this story, and is drawn by the wonderful @Jam-Boy from tumblr! Isn't it amazing?! Go check them out!**

The first thing that Sombra had learned as an orphan was how to observe. It was a necessary skill if you wanted to survive on the streets. Watch, listen, and, most importantly, learn.

Observe which police officers would turn a blind eye if they caught a starving child stealing a loaf of bread. Learn to never steal if the other officers were on duty. Observe which gangs were the best at staying under the radar. Learn how to align yourself with them. Observe which stores or markets had the weakest security. Learn how to take from them. Observe the other orphans that were best at surviving. Learn how to become better than them.

Sometimes it shocked her how much you could see if you just looked. Even now, there were still things she had to notice to survive.

Like how Doomfist would open and close his prosthetic hand when he was angry.

Like how Reaper would tilt his head to the left slightly when he was falling apart.

Like how Widowmaker almost smiled when someone mentioned one of her kills.

Like how Moira would raise a brow when thinking about experimenting on someone

There were so many things people would understand so much better if they would just let themselves see.

Like how Doomfist bows his head in respect for every fallen Talon soldier.

Like how Reaper never leaves anyone on his team behind.

Like how Widowmaker trembled whenever she remembered Amélie.

Like how Moira had a booklet with the name of everyone her experiments had killed.

Sometimes, Sombra would wonder who, if anyone, ever noticed all the little things that she tended to do.

Like how on Dia De Los Muertos, she would trade her purple theme for white and yellow.

Like how her cybernetics started glowing brighter if she was overwhelmed.

Like how, when she was thinking too hard, her leg would start bouncing.

Like how she would look away when someone mentioned Dorado.

No one seemed to notice her ticks. But then there were times when they would do things that made her wonder.

Like how Doomfist let her take Dia De Los Muertos off without ever questioning it.

Like how Reaper would sit in silence with her when things were just too much.

Like how Widowmaker shared pastries when Sombra's mind was screaming.

Like how Moira turned a blind eye when she caught Sombra crying for her home.

So perhaps they did observe some of her habits. And maybe, just maybe, that wasn't such a bad thing.


	2. The Girl

She told everyone that the girl was gone. Dead and buried so deep in the past no one could find her.

That wasn’t true, of course. Nothing was ever that simple.

The girl was alive. Dormant, quiet, and small, but so very alive. She lived in the echoes of the whispers, the memories of the shadows. She lived in the places long forgotten, was imprisoned in the corners people never dared venture in. Sometimes, her existence seems to fade, like a star long exploded, slowly disappearing into the vast darkness of the night sky.

But then there were times when her screams were too loud to be ignored. 

Perhaps it would be better for her to die. Fall to the floor until she was nothing but bones, and dust, and a story no one would ever know. A fairytale, stripped of the happy ending.

_ Who wants to read a sad story? Who wants to know a broken girl? _

Perhaps it would be better for her to die. But life was a cruel game. And the will to survive refused to be ignored. Determination rose within her, a trait made out of grit and and spirit, burning her from within. Fire filled her soul, and refused to be put out, the embers still glowing long past their time. 

But when one was filled with flames, it was only so long before they turned to ash.

She told everyone that the girl was gone. That Sombra was all that remained. But the voice inside her was never silenced, the girl never dead. 

Maybe someday, peace would come, and the girl could wake. If the storm clouds ever flew away, if the sun ever shown again, perhaps she could live once more.

_ Maybe someday…  _

_ Maybe… _


	3. The Thing That Sucks About Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might make this into a full fic... idk.... enjoy!

Death, Sombra had long since decided, sucked. There was probably a more poetic way to say that, but the point remained.

Death sucked when Sombra was a child, watching her mother get trampled in the army of omnics.

Death sucked when Sombra was older, though still too young, and someone came to her door to inform her of her father's demise.

Death sucked when Sombra was a teenager, and could do nothing but watch as Los Muertos fell victim to raining bullets.

And death most certainly sucked right now, with a bullet lodged in Sombra's stomach.

It wasn't the pain that was so bad; she had dealt with pain before. Pain was manageable. Instead, the thing that sucked most about death was the mundane finality of it all. Because you knew, in the moments of someone's death, that they would never come back. They would never finish that book they were reading. Never play another game. Listen to another song.

Most would say that there were bigger things to worry about, in the times of departure. Funerals, cremations, wills, and the likes.

But the thing was, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was accepting the fact that someone was gone. How can you do that, though, when you never got to say goodbye? When all you can think about is everything they never told you? All the things in their mind that died with them?

The thing that sucked about death, Sombra decided, right before her own, was all the loose ends that would never be tied up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bye my lovelies!


	4. Talon is Just a Bunch of Nerds and Idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana Amari spies on a Talon base. She was not prepaired for what she found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really love Reaper and Sombra ok? They need hugs. And cookies. A lot of cookies.

Ana wasn't quite sure what to expect when she and Jack broke into Talon headquarters. Fighting and chaos, that was for sure, but who would be there? What weapons would they have? Would Reaper even be there? He was the whole reason they were doing this.

She had prepared herself as best she could, running through every scenario she could think of.

Still, it was a shock to her when she made her way in. She had counted on these people being manic, evil, perhaps cackling evilly while planning how to kill some big leader. Instead, everyone here seemed... normal.

Ana was perched on a ledge, looking through an open window. Watching as these people lounged around, wearing nothing but sweats and pajamas, laughing and joking with one another. There was a large T.V. and-- were they playing Mario Kart?! A laugh almost slipped out of her lips, though she wasn't sure why.

There were soda cans and chip bags strewn throughout the room, in a way that reminded her of the room of a child. Perhaps the most laughable thing was the actual  _chore wheel_ pinned on the wall.

These people were terrorists. Ruthless killers. Murderers and arsonists and thieves and kidnappers and-- WERE THEY PLAYING MONOPOLY?!

Something squeezed at Ana's heart. If she didn't know better, she would assume these were just a bunch of college roommates having fun. They almost, almost reminded her of Overwatch, of late evenings watching the new recruits play Jenga and World of Warcraft. That was a scary thought. Talon headquarters should not remind her of Overwatch.

There was one girl that stood out, bright pink and grinning, Mario Kart controller in hand. She was screaming at the T.V., seemingly angry at her lack of winning. Sitting next to her on an old couch... was Gabe.

He had a mask, though it wasn't his normal owl skull. It was more like a medical mask, covering him from prying eyes, but making him look... not evil. The pajamas didn't exactly help. Plus, the Mario Kart controller in his hand took away any residual creepiness he might have been carrying around. And then there was the fact that the Pink Girl was leaning against him, so casually. Her head was against his shoulder, her legs strewn on his lap. They were almost cuddling. They looked... like a family. Fondness coloured their faces when they looked at one another.

It clicked in her what their relation was; Gabriel had adopted another stray, like Jesse or Genji. Probably took her under his cloak and decided to keep her, just like he always did. Pink said something Ana couldn't hear, and Reaper laughed, entire body shaking as he tried to catch his breath. Pink took advantage of the opportunity, pulling ahead of him in Mario Kart. She jumped up, hands in the air in a gesture of celebration. In retaliation, he threw an empty soda can at her.

Looking at this man, supposed terrorist and murderer, she only saw Gabi, her best friend. The man who had supported her and had been there for her no matter what she was going through. Her heart ached at this realisation.

It was easier to think of Gabe and Reaper as two separate entities. One of them a good man who fought for what he believed in, who died with honor and courage. The other a monster who had no feelings, no integrity, one who killed with joy.

Why could things never be that simple?

_Oh, Gabi... What happened to you? Was it us who did this?_

Unknown to Ana, amidst the coil squeezing her heart painfully, there lay a different emotion. Hope. Hope that maybe one day, she could have Gabriel Reyes back.

It was that hope that made her hop down from her perch, that made her lie to Jack, telling him to retreat, that Talon knew they were here.

It was hope that convinced her to give Gabe a chance.

It was hope that made her sleep just a little bit better that night.

And it was hope that made her start planning a new plan; one to save her friend.


	5. The Flashdrive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: you have lots of wips to work on is this really what you should be doing?
> 
> also me: hehehehe another oneshot
> 
> hey, so, i headcannon that reaper was sorta brainwashed by talon and that's sorta referenced in this fic. also reaper is sombra's pseudo father i don't care what you think. and there's McSombra in this? if you squint a bit?
> 
> there's also spanish and the translations are at the end. also I used google translate so it's not very good spanish.

"Take it and run."

"...What?"

"Take it and run, before they find out you're here."

"I just thought I'd have ta, ya know, fight'cha for it."

Sombra scoffed, annoyed at his refusal to just do what she was telling him to do. Estúpido vaquero. "Look, Joel, I'm--"

"Thought I told ya not ta call me that." Sombra ignored his mumble, continuing to talk over him.

"Guessing we have about thirty seconds to do this before someone realises I'm gone." She held out her hand, palm up, revealing a flashdrive of utmost importance. "So how about you get off your high horse, and just take the flashdrive!" McCree paused, gun still in his hand, finger itching on the trigger.

"What're ya playin' at, little miss?" He asked, giving her another once over. She was smaller than him, not nearly as much muscle on her frame. He could easily take her in a fist fight if need be but... One, he didn't know what those enhancements of hers did; and two, she wasn't trying to fight him. In fact, she seemed to be attempting to help him, giving him what he came for.

There was a bang, and their heads snapped towards the sealed door, where people seemed to be trying to break it in. "Are you--! I'm literally giving you what you want! Would you just take it?!" Sombra kept her voice to a whisper, not wanting her employers to hear.

McCree shrugged, "Well, 'scuse me fer not quite trustin' a terrorist, even if ya are a cute one."

That gave Sombra pause. McCree thought he almost saw her smile, but it was replaced with a scowl in an instant. "I-- Are you trying to flirt with me? Now?! Oh, for--" Another bang inturpted her. "They are going to break down that door, McCree!"

"I can see that, sugar."

If this was a cartoon, smoke would surely be flying from Sombra's ears. "Gabe tenía razón. Él es realmente un idiota." She hissed, glaring at the sky with those purple eyes. McCree wasn't fluent in Spanish, but he caught the gist of the statement, frowning.

"Well, hey now!"

There was another bang. That door wasn't going to last much longer. "This is what you came here for, no? So why won't you just take it?" Sombra waved the flashdrive in front of his face as she spoke.

"Wasn't expectin' ta have someone just give it over. Ya could've done somethin' ta it." At his words, she growled. An actual growl that rumbled in her chest. Forget smoke coming out of her ears, now it was full on flames.

"What could I have possibly done? If I wanted you dead, you would be. A virus is just too cliched." Her violet eyes searched his face, watching his jaw flex. She was winning.

With a defeated sigh. McCree snatched the flashdrive from her, "If this turns out ta be some kinda trap..."

"Sí, sí, you'll track me down and kill me." Sombra spat, still glaring. McCree chuckled. He liked this one. (That was not something he should be thinking about a terrorist, but oh, well. She was cute... in a deadly sort of way)

Another bang. One more and that door would come down.

Rolling the flashdrive between his thumb and pointer finger, he let his curiosity get the better of him. "What's on this thing anyway?"

Sombra smirked, "Oh, just some fun little videos." she hummed, far more relaxed now that he had come to his senses. "Things that Overwatch should know." McCree raised a brow. "Information on Reaper. I think you'll find it interesting."

Now that sparked his interest. Before he could ask, however, she spoke. "You should really be getting out of here. Mis jefes won't be too happy to find you."

Fair point. McCree tipped his hat as he walked towards the exit. "I'll see ya' 'round, Little Lady."

"Sí, lo harás. Adiós, amigo." She waved him off.

Behind him, he could hear the door get knocked down, and Sombra's memorable Spanish-accented voice evading questions about the location of the Cowboy. He grinned, tossing the thumbdrive in the air only to catch it. This should be fun.

**0o0o0**

"I know you let him get away." The low voice growled from behind her, making her jump.

"What makes you say that, Papi?" Sombra asked, playfully acting innocent as she twirled to face Gabe.

Someone who didn't know better would have most likely pissed themselves in fear at the way Reaper presented himself. Sombra, however, just grinned and booped his nose happily.

Gabe sighed, "Did you give him the information?"

"Si, Papi. They'll find out soon enough what Talon did to you." Sombra's tone had lost its glee, being replaced by anger. "Ellos obtendrán lo que merecen. Me aseguraré de ello."

Gabriel grinned despite himself, "You know it's not your job to protect me, Hija."

A pillow hit his face, thrown by none other than the mischief maker herself. "No one brainwashes my Papi and gets away with it."

Gabe laughed. Yes, Talon will get what's coming. And maybe, he'll get his old family back.

"You know, the Cowboy was quite cute. How come you never mentioned how charming he is?"

"..." Gabe pondered that for a moment. If McCree and Sombra teamed up... lord help them, the world wouldn't stand a chance. "Should I be afraid?"

Sombra cackled. "Sí."

He sighed. This was going to be a crazy year. He could feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Estúpido vaquero-- Stupid Cowboy
> 
> Gabe tenía razón. Él es realmente un idiota.-- Gabe was right. He really is an idiot.
> 
> Mis jefes-- My bosses
> 
> Sí, lo harás. Adiós, amigo.-- Yes, you will. Bye, mate.
> 
> Ellos obtendrán lo que merecen. Me aseguraré de ello.-- They'll get what they deserve. I'll make sure of it.


	6. Five Times Sombra Lost her Family, and the one Time she Saved Them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sombra has lost too many families, and refuses to lose another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What should I be doing? Something productive. What am I doing? Making myself cry while writing this.
> 
> I hope you're ready for angst and pain, because that's the only thing in this chapter. Well, that and Sombra's strange insults.

The first time Sombra lost her family, she was Olivia.

Some of the details were fuzzy, others seemed to be perfectly recorded in Sombra's memory, replaying over and over, like some sad form of torture.

She couldn't remember the date. Her Mama's and Papa's last words to her were a mystery as well. What she had for dinner, the weather, all erased from her mind.

Everything else, though? It was all still there.

The smell of blood, so thick and metallic that Olivia could barely breathe. The gunshots, loud, loud,  _loud_ , making her ears ring and ring until she couldn't even hear her own screams. The blood leaking from her parents' corpses, staining the carpet until the red seemed to burn Olivia's irises, and she had to look away. The cramps from being stuffed into a closet, a desperate attempt by her parents to keep her safe from the attacking Omnics.

The closet kept her hidden, but sometimes, she wished it hadn't.

**0o0o0**

The second time Sombra lost her family, she was Sofia's Daughter.

No one could remember her name. How could they? Her tias tried to take care of everyone, but there were too many kids wandering around the little makeshift orphanage. Too many hungry stomachs to feed. With all of that, how could they be expected to remember her name? Olivia didn't care. It felt nice, being referred to as Sofia's Daughter. It kept a little bit of her Mama alive.

She had stayed there for five months, enough time to lull her into a false sense of security. So it caught her off guard when the building exploded. Olivia was playing in the yard when the attack happened. How could the Omnics resist a house full of defenseless children? All it took was one bomb for the building to go.

It was all too familiar; the screaming, the smell of blood, the ringing in her ears. And the pit of dread in her stomach, the pain of losing another family.

The fire brigade showed up quickly, but they couldn't save a building that was already gone. They couldn't save lives that were already lost.

Once again, Olivia was the only one to survive. And once again, she sometimes wished she hadn't.

**0o0o0**

The third time Sombra lost her family, she was Kid Number 23.

It was a real orphanage this time, but the conditions weren't much better. If anything, they were worse. Hundreds of kids were stuffed in the building, all of them hungry, but there was never enough food to feed them all. Several had already died of starvation.

Their names had been taken away. Reduced to a number so the staff could keep track of them all. Olivia was 23. The numbers were tattooed on to her wrist, along with a barcode. They would scan it every day, so they could make sure she was only fed once. If they tried to give the children three meals a day, they would run out of food far too soon. So everyday, she got a piece of bread and a bruised apple. It was enough. (It had to be.)

Olivia's senses were sharp, which is why she could smell the smoke before anyone else. Warning others was fruitless. They paid her no attention, chalking it up to the overactive mind of a child.

By the time they found out she was right, it was too late.

Olivia had long since run from the building. Curled up in an alleyway a mile away, she hoped the smell of smoke would not reach her. It didn't. But she knew the building was gone. The people around her whispered about it. It was started by one of the staff, they said. Valencia Diaz. She had set fire to the building, because they had run out of food, and a quick death from a fire would be better than the slow death of starvation. It was a noble act, if a little misguided.

Olivia kept listening. 'No survivors' the people said in hushed tones.

Olivia sometimes wondered if it would be better if that was true.

**0o0o0**

The fourth time Sombra lost her family, she was Niña Milagroso.

It was an apt description. Three times she should have died. Three times she got lucky. She was a miracle child. They said she must have a guardian angel.

Olivia knew this wasn't true; if she had a guardian angel, they would have killed her out of kindness. Death was better than the life she lead.

A street rat, orphaned, stealing to survive. Food stands were her targets. Grab apples, bread, anything she could get her dirty hands on.

Marco and Andre helped her. They had formed their own little group, all of them splitting their spoils in hopes of no one dying.

They were like her. They had lost everything too. They knew the pain it caused.

They should have known better.

All it took was two bullets to kill them. It was a theft gone south. Andre had grabbed an orange from a street vendor. How could they have known the vendor would have a gun?

They ran, but Olivia was the only one who got away. He yelled after her, telling her that he would hunt her down and kill her like her worthless friends.

Olivia almost hoped that he would succeed.

**0o0o0**

The fifth time Sombra lost her family, she was Pink.

Olivia had long since adopted her color scheme, and it earned her the nickname. Everyone in Dorado knew about the hacker, the gangster, the one named Pink. Some laughed, the idea of a neon pink gang member comical to them. But those that had come face to face with her--they were scared. She was the best of Los Muertos, the most powerful. And she knew it. She flaunted it.

People thought she was heartless, unloyal, only out for herself. But she wasn't. Los Muertos had her loyalty, they deserved it. She owed them, and was going to repay it.

Los Muertos had found her, had given her a home. Or, at least, they had given her a blanket and occasional food. But that was the closest thing Olivia had had to a home in a long time.

In return, she helped them. Hacked whatever they needed her to. It was a small price to pay for survival.

And she loved it.

Olivia loved the hacking, the adrenaline it gave her. After being helpless for so long, how could she resist taking power? She could bring cops, politicians, CEOs, anyone to their knees. Find their secrets and release them. It was addictive.

And dangerous.

But with skills that surpassed those of trained hackers, Olivia was untouchable. Until she wasn't. Until she stuck her nose where it didn't belong, and paid the price.

The price was her identity.

Olivia had to die. It wasn't something done for the sake of drama, it was done for the sake of survival. Killing Olivia was a necessity. If the girl stayed alive, it was only a matter of time before she, and everyone around her, died.

So Olivia died, leaving behind nothing but a shadow. Nothing but Sombra. All ties were cut, all bridges burned. Los Muertos was nothing but a memory to her now. A fond memory, but a memory nonetheless.

That was how it had to be

Sombra thinks that maybe dying as Olivia would have been better.

**0o0o0**

_Not again._

_Never again._

Those were the thoughts running through Sombra's mind as she ran through the battlefield, bullets flying past her, some grazing her. The pain was numbed by sheer determination.

It was all too familiar. The gunshots, him falling to the ground. Everything in her life imploding, somehow all at once, and also in slow motion.

_Just a little bit further. He's right there. Come on Sombra. COME ON OLIVIA!_

Sombra reached Reaper, his form trembling and vibrating, the nanobots trying to reform and heal him. There was no time to think, so she didn't. Instinct took over for her. This had happened enough times for her to know she had to prevent it.

A rock nearby, it could provide cover. She dragged him towards it, crouching down beside him. "What are you doing?" His voice had always been raspy and thick, but right then it was downright inhuman.

"Oh, I'm looking for butterflies! What do you think I'm doing?" Sombra's words were quick, seeming to morph together in a fit of panic.

"Well it seems like you're being an idiot!" If he wasn't gasping for breath on the floor, already ten steps into death's door, Sombra would have slapped him. "You should be getting to the ship!"

"And you should shut up, but here we are." Gabriel made a noise, and Sombra couldn't tell if it was a laugh or a cough.

She wasn't sure exactly what knocked him down, what brought him so close to death, but she could feel the blood staining her hands. She didn't even know he had blood anymore. "Where are you hurt?"

"Get to the ship, Sombra. That's an order!" His voice was loud. It was going to draw attention to them. After glancing around to make sure no one had heard, she started to find the source of the blood.

"Good thing I never follow orders then." Sombra couldn't tell if his responding growl was caused by anger or pain, and she didn't really care.

Her hands raced over his body, looking for the wound. Brushing over his stomach, she felt a bullet hole. Her hands tore open his cloak to get a better look.

There was purple goo surrounding the damage, bubbling like mad. Poison, probably. "For once in your life, could you actually listen to someone?! Get. To. The. Ship!"

" _I'm not losing another family! I've already lost too many!"_ Gabriel stiffened, perhaps in shock at the words she hadn't actually meant to say, perhaps at the pain as she pressed a finger to his wound. "What kind of poison is this?"

Garbled sounds fell from his lips and Gabriel began to seize and thrash wildly. "What? No!" Sombra grabbed her med kit, rifling through it for something, anything she could use to fix this.

There was a small bottle of disinfectant. It was supposed to be used to make sure cuts didn't get infected, not to help with poison, but there was nothing else that might help. Unscrewing the cap, Sombra poured about half the bottle onto Gabriel's stomach. The purple goo began to bubble faster, and Sombra wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a really, really bad thing.

"AARRG **GGH** ** _HHHHH_** _"_ The scream caught her off guard. Gabriel clutched a hand over his stomach, body shaking.

"Gabe? Talk to me! I swear if you don't talk to me I will personally throw you into an ocean and leave you to be eaten by sharks!" Sweat mixed with her tears, and she worked to hold herself steady, to hide the crack in her voice.

 _She couldn't lose another family. She couldn't. She_ wouldn't!  _Not. Again!_

Gabe had stopped thrashing, and Sombra took that as a good sign. He was breathing heavily. He was alive. "I-What... How did you...?" There was pain the the words, and Sombra did her best to ignore it.

"I don't know! I just poured a bottle of disinfectant on it!" She looked down at the wound. It was healing rapidly, his nanobots working again. "We need to get onto the ship!"

"Oh,  _now_  you want to get onto the ship?"

"Once I know you're not dying, I am going to slap you so hard you'll be passed out for weeks!" Gabriel laughed, and Sombra did too. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the thrill of being alive, but the situation was almost funny.

Plus, if Sombra didn't laugh, she would start sobbing, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"I don't know if I can walk. You're going to have to help me." Sombra nodded at his request.

Everything was getting cold, and her whole body ached. Probably from the adrenaline withdrawal she was most definitely experiencing. "I'm going to lift you up, okay?" She slid her arm underneath his. "I can't carry you, so you're gonna have to help. One... Two... Three!"

She pulled, and he grunted in pain as they managed to get him onto his feel. Sombra held her arm around his back, supporting as much of his weight as she could. The battlefield was empty now, everyone having left.

_What if the ship left without us?_

Sombra didn't let herself think about that. They would cross that bridge if they got there. "Gonna start walking now, okay?" Gabe nodded. "Come on, we can do this. We're soldiers! I'm an awesome, beautiful hacker, with the best hair in the world and you... you're a brooding edge dork who insists on fighting with two shotguns and dressing like the grim reaper. Is there anything in this world we can't do? I didn't think so." Sombra continued to ramble. It was a nice distraction from the pain.

She wasn't sure how long they had been walking before the ship became visible. All she knew is that her legs were seconds away from giving out. Actually, her legs were less than seconds away from giving out, as she immediately collapsed. The world spun, and the last thing she saw was Widowmaker dragging her towards the ship. The world faded not long after that.

**0o0o0**

When Sombra woke up, it was to the sound of loud beeping. Right next to her ear. Constantly.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

She groaned, and instantly someone was next to her, shuffling around and asking questions about 'how are you feeling?' and, 'do you know what happened?'

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Glancing to the source of the noise, she saw a machine monitoring her heart rate. She wasted no time in shoving it to the ground and breaking it. At least the beeping stopped.

"I... Uh... maybe I should leave you alone now?" It was a nurse speaking to her. He looked young, and she vaguely recognised him from around base.

"Unless you want to end up like that," She pointed to the broken monitor, "then I think that's the right move."

The nurse nodded so violently that Sombra half expected his head to go flying off. "Uhm, Mr. Reaper is awake... if you want to see him... if you don't then I won't tell him you're awake."

"Tell him if he doesn't get his butt in here right now I will find him and murder him with his own teeth, and then eat the teeth."

"O... kay?"

He left the room. A few minutes of silence passed before the door opened, and Gabe walked in. "I hear that you're going to use my teeth to murder me, and then eat them?"

"That was only if you didn't come here. But you did. So you get to keep your teeth. For now."

Reaper nodded. "Remind me to schedule a psych evaluation for you." Sombra only stared blankly at him. "Are you waiting for something?"

"Yeah. A 'thank you.'. Or maybe a 'thank you for saving my life. I am now forever in your debt, oh dear and wonderful Sombra.'"

Gabriel scoffed, sitting at the edge of her bed and crossing his arms over his chest. "You disobeyed my direct orders twice. I don't think that's worthy of a 'thank you.' If anything, that's worthy of a month of cleaning the bathrooms as punishment."

"If you even think of doing that, I will chop all your toes off and force you to eat them. Slowly."

"I really need to get that psych evaluation done as soon as possible, huh?" His military-trained reflexes allowed him to doge the pillow chucked at his head.

Sombra grumbled at him, turning to face away from him, while burying her head into a pillow. "I'm going back to sleep so I don't have to deal with you anymore. I would say 'goodnight,' but I'm mad at you, and hope you have a terrible night. So... terrible night. I hope you dream of scary clowns and wet the bed in fear."

He stood, and Sombra was 99 percent sure she could  _hear_ him roll his eyes. His footsteps faded, walking closer towards the door, before they stopped. "Thank you, Sombra." Before she could respond, he left the room.

Sombra's eyes opened wide. "Well, you're welcome, Mr. Edgedork. I know you'll find some way to repay me. Like making me dessert for a month. Yeah. That's what you'll do. Imma make sure of it," she muttered, right before drifting off to sleep once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reaper is an Edgedork and you cannot change my mind. Comment if you liked it! Or even if you didn't! I just love to hear what you think. Bye my Lovelies!


	7. Finding Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sombra has questions, Reaper has advice, and the both of them should probably get some sleep.  
> Aka the 2AM deep conversation fic that no one asked for, but everyone needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what should i be doing? sleeping. What am i doing? writing a one-shot unrelated to any of my other WIPs. enjoy!

It was midnight, and a cartoon was idly playing in the background, no one truly paying attention. 

Neither of them had moved for the past hour, both splayed on a sofa, with no regard for personal space. Sombra was beginning to wonder if Gabe fell asleep. (Did he even sleep anymore?) She looked over at him, and he looked back. Awake then.

Save for silly cartoon voices still streaming from the hologram playing television, the world was quiet. No noise, no sound, no words needed to be used. And still, Sombra’s head was racing, thoughts flying through, quick enough that no one else would be able to understand any of them. 

It was hard, trying to focus her thoughts. Almost like grasping for confetti in the air of a party. You could do it, but you don’t always get the thing you want.

“What do you do when you don’t know who you are anymore?” She asked, sleep muddling her paranoia, letting her speak with vulnerability like she hadn’t for years.

Gabriel looked at her, head tilted. She met his gaze, unflinching, observing what he would do. “You go out and find yourself.” He said, after several seconds had passed.

Sombra considered that for some time, letting her brain take the words apart and put them back together, piecing together meaning from sound waves floating through the air.  _ You go out and look for yourself. _ Sounded simple. Then why didn’t it make sense?

Gabe was still looking at her, blinking once, twice, three times. Thinking, the gears in his mind turning, trying to figure her out. Even without the mask, he looked like an owl. It was in the way he held himself, the gaze that could cut through steel. The tilted head, the slow, curious blinks, and neutral expression.

Owls were pretty awesome.

Her mind was wandering again, floating away from the topic. Sombra forced her attention back.

_ You go out and look for yourself. _

“What if you don’t want to know the answer?” Her voice was quiet, tired. 

Gabriel stared at her some more. She didn’t look back at him, didn’t need to. Didn’t expect an answer to her latest question.

Sombra’s mind wandered, and this time, she let it. Hopping from one topic to the next, like an overexcited child at a carnival.

Carnivals sounded fun. She should go to one sometime. And eat cotton candy. Cotton candy was amazing. Like you were eating clouds, but with extra, extra sugar. 

Sugar made everything better. Except things like pizza. Which was still good. Especially when it was really spicy and hot, with extra pepperonis and spicy red peppers and cheese. Even though all pizzas had cheese. But cheese was good, so that was okay. 

What would it be like to have lactose intolerance? That must suck. Or maybe it doesn’t, ‘cause how can you miss eating dairy you never eat it in the first place? Unless you ate it when you were little before you knew, and remember the tas--

“I guess you find who you want to be.” Sombra drew a blank for a few seconds, struggling to pull her head back to their earlier conversation.

“What happens after that?”

He looked at her again, expression curious. “Then you become that person.”

Sombra nodded. That made sense. But who did she want to be? Who was she? What did she want? She could think of something. “I’m someone who wants more popcorn.” she decided.

Gabriel laughed. “Then make some. You know where I keep it.”

Sombra shook her head, poking his side in annoyance. “No. I’m someone who wants you to make more popcorn and then give it to me.”

“Nope. I’m not getting up.” Sombra pouted at him, trying to do puppy-dog eyes. “Oh, no, don’t-- Stop! No! Save your manipulation tactics for the battlefield! Don’t use them on me.” Gabe shielded his face, doing his best to avoid seeing her whimpering frown. After a few minutes, he peeked through his fingers, met with her still pouty face. “Humph. Fine. But you owe me.” He said, slowly standing up.

“Yay! Gracias, papacito!”

“De nada, Mija.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations  
> Gracias, Papacito: Thanks, Dad.  
> De Nada, Mija: You're welcome, my daughter.  
> what'd yall think? tell me in the comments! or come yell at me in my PMs! Bye my Lovelies!


	8. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sombra lost her car, Reaper stole Sombra's cookies, and they both chat about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wassup everyone? Guess who's coming back after almost 2 months without uploading (whoops) to give you a mediocre chapter? That's right, it's me!!

“I have a confession. I didn’t actually sell my car. I just…forgot where I parked it.”

“... _ what?” _

“That car that Talon gave me for missions. I didn’t really sell it for money. I went to get a makeover and couldn’t find it when I was done. So I just… left it. Sorry.” There was a loud sigh coming from the other side of the room as Sombra finished speaking. 

A few seconds of silence passed before, “And why are you telling me this now?” Gabe asked, sounding… unnaturally defeated. It made Sombra uneasy.

She shrugged, forgetting that it was too dark for him to see her. “I don’t think I’m exactly going to get another chance. And now it’s your turn. You’ve gotta confess a secret to me, one that you never told anyone. Preferably an embarrassing one. It’s only fair.” Reaching out, she playfully nudged her foot against his.

Reaper’s chuckle was strained, but still genuine. An accomplished feeling welled in Sombra’s chest. 

Getting Gabe to laugh was always a challenge, but getting him to laugh while they were both captured by Overwatch, awaiting certain death? Now that deserved an olympic medal. Seriously. Where was her medal?

They sat together for a few more moments, hands bound behind their backs, attached to a wall, knowing that whatever was going to happen to them, it wouldn’t be good. But they would face it head on, like they always did. And at the very least, they’d face it together.

“That time when Moira ate all your cookies? That was actually me. I just blamed her so you wouldn’t yell at me.” Gabriel admitted softly, sounding amused at the memory. 

Sombra’s jaw dropped, her eyes widened in shock. “You?! You ate my cookies?! How could you? I thought you loved me. This betrayal… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you for this, Reyes.” 

He let out a huff of laughter. “I’m sorry?”

“No, you’re not.”

“No, I’m not.”

Once again, silence took over the room. Sombra never liked silence. But for the life of her, she couldn’t find anything else to say. No witty remark was going to get them out of this situation. No silly joke was going to save their lives. 

So they sat in silence.

Reaper cleared his throat. It was a raspy sound, one akin to nails on a chalkboard, but still a welcome improvement from the quiet.

“Anything you wanna say, big guy? Maybe some awesome last words?” After a couple moments of silence following her words, Sombra wondered if Gabe had fallen asleep. (Because leave it to him to sleep now of all times.)

But then he spoke again, “Yeah, actually. For my last words, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You are the closest thing I’ve ever had to a daughter, and if I am to die here, I think it’s only fair that you know that. So whatever happens… just don’t forget that, okay?”

Sombra did not know what to say to that. She wasn’t good with real emotions. So she went with: “Well, geez dude. I was gonna say that no one gets my stuff, but now I just feel awkward about it.” 

Reaper let out a huff of air, sounding amused. “You’re deflecting by joking around.”

“I’m not joking, I want all my stuff to be buried with me so my ghost can be happy.” 

Fabric rustled in the dark, and Sombra could tell Gabe was shaking his head incredulously. He didn’t respond with words, though. He didn’t need to. What else was there to say?

But whatever happened, Gabriel Reyes would know that Sombra lost her car. Whatever happened, Sombra would know that Gabriel Reyes was the one that ate her cookies. Whatever happened, they would both know they were the closest thing to family either one of them had had in awhile.

Maybe this wasn’t the worst way to die, if only because they got to do it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wha'd ya think??

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how this kind of formatting worked out, and it looked better on google docs, but I like it! Tell me what you think! That's all for now, so bye my Lovelies!


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